Method of and means for producing antiravel fabrics



Aug. 21, 1934. w GQETSCH ET AL 1,970,906

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING ANTIRAVEL FABRICS Filed Nov. 12. 19323 Sheets-Sheet 1 a M( WW5 INVENTOIB I oaisdui: X BY 5%"? Sauna,

A TTORNEY S.

Au 21, 1934. w GQETSCH H 1,970,906

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING ANTIRAVEL FABRICS Filed Nov. 12. 19:523 Shee ts- Sheet 2 FIG. A. 42 l '2? s Jf /2/z O 0 I. Z1 5&7

rim Z7 WITNESSES: I N VEN TORS:

' A 'I'TORN E Y5. L/

Aug. 21, 1934- e. w. GOETSCH ET! AL Q 1,970,906

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING ANTIRAVEL FABRICS Filed Nov. 12. 19323 Sheets-Sheet 3 FJGQZ I Zll In 50 WITNESSES; t I 54 Mr 15.. 0A .30 L XdBY fliga iPpmar'ana,

IN VEN TORS I Patented Aug 21, 1934 UNITED STATES METHOD or AND PATENTOFFICE MEANS FOR rnonucma ANTIRAVEL FABRICS George W. Goetsch, ElkinsPark, and Otto Smetana, Philadelphia, Pa,

assignors to Quaker Hosiery Company, Philadelphia, Pa", a corporation ofPennsylvania Application November 12, 1932, Serial No. 64234.8

m Considered from the broadest standpoint, our

invention is directed toward making it possible to expeditiously andeconomically produce antipoints of the usual length, capable of closingthe beards of alternate needles without penetrating the loops on them.

.Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will bemanifest from the detailed description following in connection with theattached drawings, wherein Fig. I is a diagrammatic view showing afragment of knitted fabric such as may be produced by our novel method65 andmeans.

Figs. II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, vm and are detail views showingsuccessive steps in the pro ravel fabric characterized as above, throughproyduction of the fabric of Fig. I in accordance with vision of a novelmethod capable of being practicedon flat knitting machines of the"cotton type such as are ordinarily used in the manufacture of fullfashioned stockings, equipped with lace attachments.

The method of producing non-ravel fabric in accordance'with ourinvention, involves, as one of its steps, the pre-forming of loopcourses without casting; and as another of its steps, the drawing of theloops of a previously completed 05 course over the aforesaid pre-formedloops while the latter are held in the hooks of the'needles of theknitting machine, and the lateral transfer of alternate loops of suchpreviously completed loops to adjacent needles. The first of these twosteps we are enabled to accomplish, through provisions whereby, whilethe machine performs a knitting cycle, the cam shaft is shifted throughbut a fraction of I the usual distance necessary to initiate a narrowingcycle, so that the needle bar may be actuated during part of arevolution by a low rise (radially considered) of the auxiliary sectionof the knitting cam which is ordinarily used during narrowing, insteadof by the higher rise of the knitting cam itself, to the end that theneedles are depressed only sufficiently to measure the loops for thepre-formed course over the nibs of the sinkers without drawing of suchloops through the loops of the .previously completed course held on theshanks of the needles.

Another consideration essential to the successful production ofanti-ravel fabric by our novel method is that during the lateraltransfer of alternate loops in the second of the aforementioned steps,it is requisite that the beards of intermediate needles (those fromwhich no loops of the loops 'of the previously completed course over thecorresponding loops of the pre-formed course. This operation wepredetermine by use in the .lace bar of the machine oi special shortpoints in alternation with the regular transfer Fig. X.

are taken) be pressed for release and casting our new method.

' Fig. X is a cross sectional view of a full fashioned stocking knittingmachine suitably modified for the purposes of our invention.

Fig. XI is a fragmentary view of the machine looking as indicated by thearrows m-m in Fig. XII is a fragmentary perspective view of the camshaft of the machine showing the cam for actuating the needle bar; and

Fig. XIII is a fragmentary perspective view of the lace bar of themachine with the special and regular points to which reference has beenpreviously made.

Referring first to Fig. I of these illustrations, the fabric theredelineated, is characterized by courses 15 whereof alternate loops 15aare dou- 5 bled with alternate contiguous wale loops 16b of adjacentplain courses 16, this being effected by lateral transferring of theloops 15oz as hereinafter set forth in detail. In the present instance,there is a plaincourse 17 intervening each pair ofthe interlockingcourses 15 and 16'. If desired, however, the number of such intermediateplain courses 17. may be increased. For convenience of exemplificationwe have shown the loops 15a of one course 15 as being transferred to theleft, and the loops 15a of the next course 15 to the right, and so on.-Again, if desired, such transferring may be effected always in onedirection throughout the fabric, 1. e. either always to the left, oralways tothe right. Stippling has been resorted to in Fig. I merely todistinguish the courses 16 of the fabric from the others, thereby tofacilitate the understanding of certain steps in our novel method ofknitting whereof the description immediately follows.

In Figs. lI-VII we have indicated the needles, the sinkers and the knockovers of the full fashioned stocking knitting machine shown in Figs.

K, these instrumeritalities all cooperating in the 'usual well knownmanner to form fabric loops.

In Figs. VIII and IX alternate needles have been identified by thecharacter N" for the purpose of distinction in further explanation. Thelace bar of the machine shown in part at B in Fig. XIII, differs fromthe usual type of lace bar in that it has special alternate points Pwhich are shorter than the regular intermediate points indicated at P,for capacity to function merely asneedle beard pressers in the mannerpresently manifested.

Tracing the successive steps of our new method of knitting, theneedles Nare shown in Fig. II as occupying their raised position in readiness toi take fresh yarn Y which has just been laid over the nibs of thesinkers S. Concurrently with descent of the needles N, N so that theirhook tops come slightly below the nibs of the sinkers S, the. yarn Y isformed into loops 16a, 16?), as

shown in Fig. III, for a course 16; but the beards of the needles arenot closed at this time so that .the previously drawn loops held on theshanks of the needles are not cast. Incident to the succeeding elevationof the needles N, N, the newly formed loops 16a pinched or wedged withinthe narrow upper ends of the needle hooks under the spring action of thebeards are carried up with theneedles as shown in Fig. IV, as aconsequence of wedging of the yarnin theneedle hooks while thepreviously formed loops 15a are held depressed by the sinkers S. Thepoints P and P are thereupon brought into contact with the needles N, Nto cover the beards of thelatter as in a lace forming narrowing cycle asshown in Fig. V, and caused to descend with said needles as in Figs. VIand VIII. From Fig. VIII it will be observed that only the points P'penetrate the previously formed loops on the needles N, N as ordinarily.The needles N, N and the points P, P rise together for a time (likewiseas in a narrowing cycle) and eventually separate as in Figs. VII and IX.Incidently the loops 15a are lifted by the points P fromthe needles Nover the pre-formed loops 16a of the course 16, and while the lace bar Bcontinues to rise, the intermediate loops 15b of the course 15 arereleased by the special short points P, the regular points P howeverstill retaining the loops 15a as shown in Fig. IX. The lace bar B isnext shifted laterally'to the extent of one needle, and thereupon causedto descend once more so that the loops 15a on the points 1? aredeposited onto the needles N. After deposit of the loops as justexplained, the needles N, N and points P, P rise together, the points totheir normal all pressed in the usual way, this time to cast the loops15a, 16b and 16a respectively. The described cycle is continuouslyrepeatedwith incident transfer of the loops to the right in one cycleand to the left in the next for corresponding disposal of said loops inopposite directions in alternate of the courses v16 of the fabric aspreviously explained in connection with Fig. I.

The full fashioned stocking knitting machine illustrated in Figs. XI andX11 is, generally speaking, standard in construction in that itcomprises a cam shaft 20 which is supported for rotation and endwiseshifting, in spaced transverse frames whereof one is indicated at 21 inFig. X. Up and down movements are imparted to the needle bar 22 of themachine through a. lever 23 which is aflixed, together with an arm 24,to a longitudinal rock shaft 25, said arm having a roller 26 that runsin peripheral contact with the rotary knitting cam 27 on the cam shaft20. The dipping frame 28 of the narrowing mechanism of the machine isactuated by another rotary cam 29 on the cam shaft 20, the intermediateconnections including an arm 30 fulcrumed at 31 and carrying a roller 32to cooperate with the cam 29, and a vertical link bar 33 connecting saidarm with the dipping frame. Normally, the roller 32 rides a concentricdisk 35 alongside the cam 29. The cam 2'? for actuating the needle bar22 is of the usual design as regards the general contour of its twosections 27a, 27b which are employed respectively during knitting andnarrowing; but for the purposes of our invention, the width of the rise4'7 of the section 27a has been reduced somewhat, by cut-- ting away ofits inside face, and its periphery made to merge smoothly with that ofthe section 271) at the region mx (Fig. XII), the usual region ofmergence between the two cam sections being at yy. Normally, to initiatea narrowing cycle, the cam shaft 20 is shifted toward the measuringchain 37 through suitable connections,

not shown. The supplemental shifting mechanism 39 is an exact duplicateof the mechanism 36 except in that the side cam ridge 42 of the righthand disk 43 on the shaft 20 which cooperates with the shifting roller44 is of less width by a half than theside cam ridge 45 of thecorresponding disk 46 of the mechanism 36. As shown in Fig. XI, thedisks 43 and 46 of the mechanisms 39 and 36 are set onthe cam shaft 20with the high portions of their cam ridges 42 and 45 angularly spaced todetermine successive shiftings of said shaft.

The formation of a course 16 of the fabric of Fig. I begins with aknitting cycle of the machine: but before the shaft 20 completes therevolution for such cycle, it is shifted part way (made possible bycutting away of the cam 2'7 as above explained) under the control of thesupplemental shifting mechanism 39 when the mergent line :v-a: (Fig.XII) of the cam 27 is opposite the roller'26 on the arm 24, so that saidroller instead of riding on the high rise 4'! (considered radially) ofthe section 27a of said cam, rides the lower rise 48 of the auxiliarysection 2'7 01' the cam which is used during narrow n while the roller32 still remains on the concentric disk 35 the shaft, of a usualnarrowing cycle incident to which the roller 26 rides/ the section 271)of the cam 27 and the roller 32 rides the cam 29, to effect the transferloop operation of Figs. V-IX.

The mechanism for shifting the lacebar B incident to transfer of fabricloops between the needles N, N may be of the well known type,and forthis reason, a showing thereof has been omitted from the drawings.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. The method of producing anti-ravel fabric on a full fashionedknitting machine having a lace attachment including a lace b'ar withaltnate regular, and intermediate special sho t points, which comprisespre-forming a course of newloops over the nibs of the sinkers of themachine without casting the old loops of a pre-.

vious course from the needles; then drawing old loops from alternateneedles by aid of the regular points of the lace bar over thecorrespbnding pre-formed loops of the new course, with incidentalcasting of old loops from the intermediate needles due to closure of thebeards of the latter by the short special points of the lace .bar; thentransferring the loops on the regularpoints of the lace .bar to otherneedles; then knitting a plain course on the needles; and-continuouslyrepeating the described cycle.

2. The method of producing anti-ravel fabric on'a flat knittingmachinehaving a lace attachment including a bar with alternate long andspecial short points, which comprises preforming acourse of new loopsover the n ibs of the sinkers of the machine without casting the oldloops of a previous course from the needles then drawing old loops fromalternate needles over the corresponding pre-formed loops of the newcourse by .aid of the points of .the lace bar, with incidental castingof the old loops from the intermediate needles due to closure of thebeards of the latter by the short points of the lace bar; thentransferring the alternate old loops on the long points of the lace barto contiguous needles; then' knitting a plain course; and continuouslyrepeating the described cycle.

3. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a bar with needles; cooperativesinkers; a cam shaft; a rotary cam on said cam shaft with adjoiningsections respectively for actuating the needle bar during knittingcycles and for actuating the needle bar during narrowing'cycles; andmeans for shifting the cam shaft to enable the use of a portion of thenarrowing section of the cam during a part of a rotation of said shaftfor the purpose of pre-forming a new course of loops over the nibs ofthe sinkers without incidental casting of the loops of a previous courseon said needles.

4. In a full fashioned hosiery knitting machine, a bar with needles;cooperative sinkers; a cam shaft with a cam thereon having a section foractuating the needle bar during knitting cycles,- and an auxiliarysection for actuating the needle bar during narrowing cycles; lacemechanism in-,

cluding a dipping frame and a lace bar with points to transfer fabricloops between adjacent 1 needles; a normally idle cam on the cam shaftfor actuating said dipping frame means for shifting the cam shaft topermit operation of the last mentioned cam to determine performance ofthe machine of narrowing cycles for lace-purposes;

section of the knitting cam aforesaid to actuate the needle bar for thepurpose of pre-forming a course of new loops over the nibs of thesinkers without incidental casting of the loops of the previous courseon said needles, and without initiating a narrowing cycle. f

u 5. In a full fashioned hosiery knitting machine, a bar with needles;cooperative sinkers; a cam shaft with a cam thereon having a section foractuating'the needle bar-during knitting cycles and an auxiliary sectionfor actuating the needle bar during narrowing cycles; lace mechanismincluding a dipping frame, and a lace bar with points, to transfer-fabric loops between adjacent needles; a normally idle cam on the camshaft for actuating said dipping frame; means for shifting able use,during a part rotationof said shaft, of 1 a portion of the auxiliarysection of the knitting cam aforesaid to actuate the needle bar for thepurpose of pre-forming a course of new loops over the nibs of thesinkers without incidental casting of the loops of the previous courseon said needles, and without initiating a narrowing cycle; and aseparate chain for controlling the supplemental cam shaft shiftingmechanism. 7

6.- A point bar for the lace mechanisms of full fashioned stockingknitting machines, having regular points for transferring fabric loopsbetween diflerent needles of the knitting machine; and special shorterpoints for closingthe beards of other needles to effect, concurrently,release of loops on such,needles.

7. A point bar for la'ce attachments of full fashioned stocking knittingmachines, having alternate regular points for transferring fabric loopsbetween different needles of the machine;

-andintermediate special short points for closing the beards ofotherneedles to effect release, concurrently, of previously formed loops onsuch needles.

8.The method of producing anti-ravel fabric on a Hat knitting machinefitted with a lace bar,

which comprises 'pre-forming a course of loops over the sinker nibswithout casting them; then raising the needles with the pre-formed loopsin the needle hooks, then bringing the points of they 9. The method offorming anti-ravel fabric in accordance with claim 8, and shifting thelace bar I alternately in opposite directions during successive cycles.

'. g GEORGE W. GOEISC'H.

' O'I'I'O F. SMETANA.

